We Both Go Down Together
by Princess Massacre
Summary: Miranda Ridley was a Sergeant in the US Military. After making a life threatening mistake in the field she is demoted and sent back to California. After begging and pleading for her job back her superior officers make a deal: if she can prove that she can make smart, lifesaving decisions then she would be allowed back on the battle field. But no one told her what that would entail.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I thought of this story back when I saw the first Iron Man film back in '08, but haven't gotten around to writing it until now. I'm sorry if this idea has been done to death, but hopefully I can add my own original spin to the idea.

Reviews would be greatly appreciate. As I'm not really sure how I feel about this as an introduction.

Disclaimer: This story follows the events of Iron Man 1 and 2. Iron Man and all its character and plot points belong to Marvel Entertainment.

* * *

It was a hot day in Afghanistan, the sun looming high in the sky. A US military squad combed the area of a small town. It was just sixteen kilometers east of their camp. Reports say that terrorists had been seen hiding out there. No doubt they were planning a strategy of attack. This was nothing but a recon mission. Get in, scout the area, collect intel, then get out. But it didn't go down like that.

The squad was led by a young sergeant. She was overconfident and was liable to make decisions without thinking about them first. She was scouting down a street occupied by spectating citizens. She was just about to call it a day and head back when she heard the sound of a man's cry. Pivoting in the direction the noise came from she found a native man shouting frantically at her in a language she didn't understand. "Calm down, sir," she called to him, standing her ground. He didn't calm down, though. He came towards her, his hand snaking into his pocket. Thinking the worst, she shot with no warning. Screams erupted in the streets. She came forward. Checking the body, she found no weapon. Clutched in his hand instead was a letter freshly drenched in his own blood.

The sergeant had been demoted and was relocated to a base in California where hopefully she would do no more damage. She was originally demoted to cleaning duty, but with a little begging she was able to make a deal. If she could prove that she's capable of making good choices that keeps people alive, then she would be granted permission back on the field. But nobody warned her what that would entail.

She was in her quarters awaiting orders when she was approached by the colonel. She stood and saluted when he entered the room. "Pack a bag," he ordered, "I've got a job for you."

That's how she found herself in a crowded room full of reporters. Colonel Rhodes had yet to explain to her what was going on. All he said about it while they walked up the steps to the building was, "He's a little hard to get along with at first. Just don't let it it get to you, okay? And try not to make eye contact for too long. He hates that."

Upon entering the building she found Tony Stark sitting on the edge of the stage in front of an audience of reporters. Pulling a cheeseburger out of his pocket he called for everyone's attention. "Hey, would it be all right if everyone sat down? Why don't you just sit down? That way you can see me, and I can . . . And a little less formal, and . . ." He trailed off before he took a bite out of his sandwich.

She looked on in amazement as the group of people sat down in front of him. "Is that Tony Stark?" she whispered over to the colonel.

"Yeah, that's him," he sighed.

"But I thought he went missing. What is he doing here?"

"We found him on our last search mission; brought him home." His eyes roamed the room until he found a familiar face. He approached who could be assumed was a friend and knelt down next to her. She stood at his side obediently while the two shared a little back and forth. While the two spoke the younger woman was left to think about the situation she was in. From what she could guess she'd say that her job has something to do with Stark. Was she going to go after his captors and bring them to justice? That had to be it.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Tony's voice. "I never got to say good-bye to my father," he said. "There were questions I would have asked him. I would have asked him what this company did. If he was conflicted, if he ever had doubts. Or maybe he was every inch of man we remember from the news reels." He actually exhibited a hint of emotion in his voice. She couldn't tell if he was being sincere or if it was just an act for the press. But either way something must have happened to him over there to make him talk like this. As if reading her own thoughts he went on to explain, "I saw young Americans killed by the very weapons I created to defend them and protect them. And I saw that I had become part of a system that is comfortable with zero accountability."

It was silent for a short second before hands were raised. He called on a man in the front row. "What happened over there?"

"I had my eyes opened," he said as he got to his feet. "I came to realize that I had more to offer this world than just making things that blow up. And that is why, effective immediately, I am shutting down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries." At this everyone in the room stood shouting out questions for him. He had continued to talk, but was drowned out by Obadiah Stane as he tried to do damage control. When Tony had said all he had to say he stormed off the stage, reporters holding out recorders for a comment as cameras flashed in his face. Colonel Rhodes took action as he shielded him from spectating eyes, leading him into an isolated area where they could talk, the two women following behind them.

When they were finally alone, Colonel Rhodes took it upon himself to speak first. "What the Hell was that?" he asked.

"Did you not hear me?" Tony asked. "Because I thought I made it really clear up there."

Ignoring his comment he said, "So you stop making weapons, then what? What else is there for you?"

"I don't know. I heard pharmaceuticals is a good market to be in." He glanced over at the woman to Rhodey's right and asked, "Who's this?"

"This is Private Miranda Ridley. She'll be serving as your bodyguard," Rhodes explained.

"I'm sorry, what?" Tony asked.

Miranda, who had saluted in the middle her superior's sentence, faltered as she looked at him completely bemused. "What?"

"You heard me," Rhodey said.

"No, I don't need a bodyguard," Tony said.

"Yeah, I'm sure he'll be fine now that he's back in America," Miranda tried to reason.

"I'm not going to feel right about this unless I put someone on to protect you. Just let me have the peace of mind, okay? And you," he turned to Miranda, "You need to learn the value of a life."

She felt annoyed by the fact that he was calling her out in front of the two people before them. She said, "With all due respect, Sir, I was under the impression that I would be put on an important mission. But it appears that you have me doing babysitting work."

"She sounds really moody. Are you sure she's the right person for the job?" Tony spoke up.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped at him.

"No offense," Tony said, "but I'm just not sure I want my life entrusted to a whiny little girl."

"I'm about two seconds away from snapping your good arm in half," she threatened.

"On second thought, you just exude testosterone," Tony shot back.

"Stop it, the both of you," Rhodey interjected. "Tony, I personally handpicked her. I assure you that she's one of our best." The tension in her shoulders lessened as she heard this. She couldn't tell if he was being truthful or if he was just telling Tony what he wanted to hear. Either way, she appreciated the sentiment. "Now, you two better learn to deal with it, because I'm not giving either of you a choice in the matter."

"I thought as much," Tony thought aloud.

"And if you two are going to live together you had better learn to get along," Rhodey added.

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Tony said as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rhodey, please-"

"Tony, I am asking you as your friend, just let me have this," Rhodey interrupted. "I'm not going to let anything else happen to you."

Tony heaved a sigh as he heard the sincerity in his friend's voice. "Fine," he said. Knowing that she really didn't have a say in the matter, she chose to keep her mouth shut and accept the orders that were given to her.

"Good," Rhodey said. "Come on. I'll walk you guys to the car."

They walked out to the curb where the car was waiting for them. By this time a majority of the reporters had dispersed, but a few still lingered as they tried to get a comment from Tony. He managed to dodge them as his chauffeur opened the door for him and he got in. "Happy," the woman said, getting his attention, "can you put Private Ridley's bag in the trunk?"

"Gladly," Happy said as he took the bag from her.

"Private Ridley." She turned her attention back to her colonel. "I want you to know that I wouldn't put you on this job if I didn't trust you," he said.

She didn't know if there was any truth to that statement, but she took the compliment nonetheless. "Thank you, Sir," she said.

"I have faith in you. You can do this," he said, patting her on the shoulder.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," she replied.

"Okay, you're excused," he said. "Get to it."

"Sir." She saluted as he took his leave.

When he had left she heard a voice from beside her, "Excuse me." She turned to see the strawberry blonde who accompanied Tony. "I'm Pepper Potts," she said extending a hand to shake, "I'm Tony's assistant."

"Miranda Ridley," she introduced herself, taking the woman's hand in her own.

"I know you must be frustrated by the circumstances, but I'd just like to say I appreciate having you here to keep an eye on Tony. I admit that I'm very worried for him," she said.

She was taken aback by her sudden display of gratitude. All she could think to say was, "I'll do my best, ma'am."

Pepper chuckled, "Oh, please, there's no need to be so formal. You can just call me Pepper."

"All right, Pepper," she corrected herself.

"Hey, are you two done yet?" Tony called from inside the car. "Let's get this show on the road. I've got a glass of whiskey waiting for me at home."

"I think that's our cue," Pepper said.

"After you," said Miranda. She held the door open for Pepper. Once she was safe inside Miranda followed suit, closing the door behind her.

"Who's this?" Happy asked as he turned the key in the ignition.

"This is my new bodyguard. I think her name is Amanda," Tony said.

"It's Miranda, actually," she corrected.

Her words went on deaf ears, however, as Tony said, "You know, that's a clever name for you. 'Who are you?' 'A man, duh.'"

"I really don't like your attitude," she said.

"Yeah? What about you?" he asked. "Do you always talk back to your superior officers like that?"

"No," she snapped, annoyed by the direction this was going in, "you just caught me on a bad day."

"Do you have a lot of bad days?" he shot back at her.

She didn't even want to dignify that with an answer. It was obvious to her that he was just trying to get a rise out of her. Maybe he thought if he got her angry enough she'd mess up, giving him a reason to go back to Colonel Rhodes and tell him that this isn't working out. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. So instead she kept quiet as she directed her attention at the passing scenery outside the window. She was hoping he would give up once he realized she was ignoring him, but he kept on pressing.

"How long have you been in the military?" he asked.

"Four years," she replied.

"Four years and you're still a private?" Miranda closed her eyes as she exhaled sharply through her nose. She tried counting to ten as she tried to keep her anger in check. Noticing her reaction Pepper interjected chiding him to stop. "What?" he asked. "I think I have a right to know. If you're as good as Rhodey says then why aren't you a higher rank?"

Counting hadn't helped cool her off any, as she had counted to twenty by this time and she was still pissed off. She finally snapped, "My ranking and time of service have nothing to do with my abilities in the field."

"Really?" Tony argued. "Because I thought that was the whole point of a ranking system; to indicate ones experience."

At that moment Happy had stopped the car at a red light. "I hate this light," he thought aloud to himself. "It takes forever to change." At this Miranda got an idea.

"Happy was it?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, looking back at her through the rear-view mirror.

"Do you mind rolling down the windows for a minute?" she asked.

"Sure," he said as he rolled down both windows in the back.

Tony and Pepper looked curiously at her as she looked out the window Tony sat next to. On the sidewalk next to the crosswalk stood a woman looking down at her phone as she waited for the light to change. "Hey!" she called out to the woman. She looked up from her phone towards the direction Miranda had called from. When she got her attention she shouted, "You might want to move." Then she unholstered her hand gun and aimed it in the woman's direction. The woman screamed, though Miranda couldn't hear it over Pepper's own shrieks. She ran out of the way just as she pulled the trigger. The pedestrian managed to get out of the way just in time as the bullet zoomed past her, planting itself right in the middle of the button that changes the crosswalk signals. As the light changed Happy cried, "What the Hell was that?"

"That was me getting the job done," she replied as she holstered her weapon. "Now drive."

As the car started to move again Tony said, "I have no idea what that was supposed to prove, but I like your moxie." Miranda took this as slight approval. It wasn't much, but she'll take whatever she can get. Meanwhile, Pepper still shaken from the sudden gunfire sat dreading the weeks to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Miranda followed Tony to the Stark Industries complex, much to his dismay. He had a meeting with Obadiah Stane and would have preferably gone there alone, but with Miranda's new job she was forced to be around him twenty-four hours a day. So there she stood beside him at the foot of the arc reactor his father designed.

"So what is this thing?" she asked as she leaned against the railing that surrounded the giant machine.

"It's an arc reactor," he said.

"What does it do?" she asked.

"It depends on what you want to use it for," he explained. "I use it as a source of energy to power my entire company. But if you implement it correctly it can also be used as an explosive."

"Wow," she said with a grimace. "I'd hate to see the damage that thing could do."

"You don't have to worry about that," Tony assured her. "That's not the purpose it was built for."

The two looked over at the sound of the doors sliding open as Obadiah Stane walked in to the room. Miranda didn't normally feel any sort of intimidation towards people, whether it be her commanding officers or her enemies on the battle field. But for some reason as Obadiah approached the two she couldn't help but feel a sense of worry.

"Private Ridley was it?" he inquired.

"Yes, Sir," she said, standing at her full height.

"Could you give us a moment?" he asked.

She looked over at Tony for his permission and he said, "Yeah, it's fine. Go wait outside."

With a nod of her head she reluctantly complied. Stepping outside the building she met up with Happy who was waiting by the car. She folded her arms over her chest as she leaned against the car next to him. "So who's this Stane guy?" she asked him.

"A business partner of Tony's," he explained. "He ran the company for a while after Howard Stark died. Then once Tony took over he became the second-in-command."

Miranda nodded in understanding. "What do you think of him?" she asked.

"I don't have a lot to think about," Happy said, "I only know him on a professional level. Why do you ask?"

Miranda shook her head. Not wanting to explain the bad feeling she got from him, she just said, "I was just curious, is all."

The conversation diminished into a comfortable silence, the two waiting at the car for their boss to come meet them. Five or so minutes later the two men left the building. They said their parting words as they went their separate ways. Miranda opened the car door, allowing Tony inside. After he got in she followed after him, closing the door behind her. As Happy turned the key in the ignition Miranda asked, "What was that about?"

"We had a talk about the future," he replied.

"Yeah?" she said. "What does the future look like?"

He hesitated at this. He really didn't want to allude to her his uncertainty, so all he said about it was, "It's nothing you need to worry about." This only made her question as to whether she should really be worrying.

* * *

Upon their arrival to Tony's home Happy carried in Miranda's bag while Pepper invited her inside. Tony just trudged past them without a word. "Tony," Pepper called after him, "aren't you even going to give our guest a tour?"

"That's what I got you for," he shot back, as he descended a flight of stairs. "I got to go. I have work to do."

Miranda looked after him curiously. "What could he possibly have to do after just getting home?" she asked.

"God only knows," Pepper said. "Here, I'll show you around." Pepper gave Miranda a tour of the house, first showing her to the room she would be staying in. Happy had already placed her bag at the foot of the bed. The room was somewhat large in size. It was definitely bigger than any room she had lived in before. A queen sized bed sat in the middle of the room with plush red pillows and comforter. Pepper even showed her the walk-in closet that could hold much more than she had actually brought with her.

"And this is just the guest room?" Miranda asked incredulously.

"That's correct," Pepper confirmed.

She was taken by the kindness that was shown to her. This was much more than she needed, and in her opinion, much more than she deserved. She smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you."

Continuing on with the tour Pepper showed her around the rest of the house. The one place she seemed to skip was the basement where Tony disappeared to, as she chose to save that for another time after Tony had some time to recuperate. She ended the tour by showing her the home security system. "You can turn it on manually like this," she said as she showed her how it works, "but being that's it's wired into the house's internal system you can also ask Jarvis to turn it on for you."

"Who's Jarvis?" Miranda asked.

"Jarvis is the artificial intelligence that Tony built into the internal system," Pepper explained. "Say hi, Jarvis."

"Hello," a very kindly voice called out from seemingly no where.

Miranda looked around the room as she tried to discern where the voice was coming from. When she saw that they were alone she asked, "That was the computer?" Pepper nodded. "That's insane. It sounds like a real person."

"Thank you, Miss. I try my best," Jarvis said.

"And it makes jokes. I like it," Miranda laughed.

"Jarvis, this is Private Miranda Ridley. She was assigned to be Tony's bodyguard. She'll be staying with us for a while," Pepper introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Please let me know if you should need anything," said Jarvis.

"Thank you, I will," Miranda said in return.

"You can come to me with anything you might need as well," Pepper said.

"Oh, I don't want to be too much of a bother," Miranda said.

"It's no bother," Pepper said. "Just go ahead and make yourself at home."

"Home, right," Miranda said thoughtfully. She hadn't had a place to call home ever since she volunteered for the military. Of course she lived on the barraks when she wasn't on duty, but was that really a place you could call home? She looked around at the surroundings before her. She didn't think it was possible to make herself at home when she couldn't even remember what a home felt like. "Thank you."

* * *

She hardly saw Tony for the rest of the day. He briefly joined them after Pepper went out of her way to make a special dinner in celebration of his return, only to take his plate and go hide in his workshop again. "You know, the least he can do is sit down and eat with us," Miranda pointed out.

"It's okay," Pepper said in an understanding tone. "He's been through a lot."

"Still, I don't think it's healthy for him to isolate himself after what happened to him," Miranda said.

"That's normal for him," Pepper assured. "Just give him some time. He'll come around."

Miranda tried to sleep that night, but sleep wouldn't come. No matter how she tossed and turned she just couldn't get comfortable. Her thoughts ran to her current predicament. How long would she be on this assignment? She doubted Tony's captors would try anything again now that he was back in the states. Would she be here until they're brought to justice, or was she just doomed to waste away here. The only thing that gave her any comfort was Pepper's kind welcome. Finding another woman she could connect with was a rarity, and she hoped that she could have a friend in her.

Realizing she wasn't going to get a wink of sleep she decided to go to the kitchen and get something to drink. Maybe a glass of milk would help. After pouring herself a glass she leaned against the kitchen counter as she sipped her drink. She glanced around the house taking note of the choice of interior design. It was very modern. She thought it suited Tony nicely. She thought back to the tour Pepper gave her earlier that day, then she remembered the gym she had shown her. Perhaps some exercise would help calm her nerves. She chugged the rest of her milk then put the empty glass in the sink before she found her way to the gym. She opted for the barbell. She started with the fifty pound weights as a warm up. After her muscles were all warmed up she added two more weights for a challenge. She had done up to thirty lifts before a voice interrupted her, "Who said you could be in here?" It was Tony.

She heaved the heavy weight back on its stand before she sat up and said, "Pepper did."

"Well, this isn't Pepper's house, okay? You need my permission before you do anything," Tony said. Since she saw him earlier that day he had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. His hair was ruffled like he had been running his fingers through it in frustration.

"Sorry, I thought since Pepper's seemingly the one who holds this place together that I was to be granted her permission," she said sarcastically.

"It's not all Pepper," Tony said. "It's also partly Jarvis."

"Hey, Jarvis, is it okay if I be in here?" Miranda asked the AI.

"Certainly, Private Ridley," its electronic voice replied.

"There, it's settled," Miranda smirked.

"No, it's not, okay? Don't listen to him," Tony said. "What are you doing in here anyway?"

"I just, I couldn't sleep," she said. "I can't seem to get comfortable."

"What do you mean you can't get comfortable?" he asked.

"I'm just too used to sleeping on a stiff cot or the lumpy mattresses at the barracks. Then I come here and find your beds are made of clouds. I'm just having trouble adjusting to it, I guess," she explained.

"That's a weird thing to complain about," he remarked.

"I wasn't complaining," she said sharply. Of course he wouldn't understand her situation, she thought, he's never had to sleep on the floor a day in his life. "What about you? What are you doing up so late?"

"I'm pulling an all-nighter on a thing. Came upstairs to get an energy shot and heard you messing around in here," he explained.

"What are you working on?" she asked curiously.

Not wanting to explain the arc reactor in his chest just yet, he stumbled on his words as he tried to come up with an excuse. "It's just a little thing," he said. "It's nothing. You don't need to worry about it."

"Well, is it a little thing or is it nothing?" she mocked. "It can't be both."

"It's just a thing I started while I was in captivity," he explained.

"Is that what you were doing for three months? They just let you build things?" she asked incredulously.

"They wanted me to build weapons for them," he admitted. "Instead I fashioned a means to escape."

"How did you do that?" she asked, suddenly curious about what happened to him.

"That's not important now," he said. That was a lie, though. The suit he made to help him escape weighed heavily on his mind. Even though he technically didn't need it anymore he felt compelled to build a new suit, a better suit. He didn't want to make weapons anymore, but he thought with that suit he would be able to do some good.

"Who were they?" she asked, her voice taking a gentle tone.

"No one you need to worry about," he said, avoiding the question.

"Yes, I do need to worry," she pushed. "If I'm going to protect you, I'm going to need to know what I'm up against."

He paused for a moment as he examined her expression. He could see the determination in her eyes. He doubted it was enough to help him. At length he said, "They're a terrorist organization. They call themselves the Ten Rings. They're very powerful. I doubt a single woman is enough to stop them."

"I'm not just woman, I'm a soldier," she insisted.

"Even so, I doubt you would be of much help," he said. "I got to get back to work. You should go back to bed." And with that he turned and left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. His words didn't give her any confidence. More so she was angry that he would doubt her abilities, though that was just a cover for how insecure she felt. Finally, she went back to bed with great reluctance. She tossed and turned, but still couldn't get comfortable. She slept on the floor that night.


	3. Chapter 3

She hadn't seen him again since breakfast. Pepper had prepared a rather lush meal. Miranda wondered if she did this every morning or if it was just a special thing she did to celebrate Tony's return. She couldn't remember the last time she ate anything so delicious, having lived on vittles for so long. She had nearly forgotten what a home cooked meal tasted like, and she had to admit she had felt touched by Pepper's gesture even though she knew it was part of her job.

After they ate Pepper thought it was important that she show Miranda the part of the house she had neglected the day before. She led her downstairs and showed her Tony's work space through the glass wall. When she told her it required a passcode for entry Miranda immediately demanded that she show her. Tony who was inside at the time saw the whole thing go down. He was indignant. He came out and tried to object. It's bad enough that she had to live with him, but now she has to invade further on his personal space. Pepper, on the other hand, thought it was a good idea to allow Miranda entrance to the whole house so she handed over the passcode. Tony had a lot to say about the matter but was immediately shot down by Pepper saying it would giver her the peace of mind. And to give him the peace of mind she promised not to come in unless he needed her for something.

It was midnoon now. Pepper informed her that she was going out to pick up some groceries as a lot of the food in Tony's fridge went stale in the time he's been away. That's how Miranda was left standing in the middle of Tony Stark's living room all alone. She felt awkward about being there. Pepper had told her to go ahead and make herself at home, but despite this she still couldn't make herself feel comfortable. At length she reluctantly took a seat on the couch. The TV that Pepper was watching was set to CNBC. She cringed as she watched Jim Cramer assess Stark Industries' stocks. Deciding she had heard enough of the downfall of Tony's company she grabbed the remote and changed the channel to Boomerang. She scanned the room real quick, making sure Tony wasn't watching her before she sunk back into the couch as she watched the exploits of Tom and Jerry unfold.

Suddenly she heard Tony's voice call out through the room. "Pepper, how big are your hands?" Miranda scrambled for the remote, shutting the television off before he could see. Then she realized that his voice was coming in through an intercom system and could feel her face flush over her own foolishness.

Pulling herself together she pushed the button on the receiver before she said, "Pepper's not here."

"Where is she?" he asked.

"She went to go pick up your groceries. Remember? She told you she was going this morning," she explained.

"Yeah, of course I remember," he replied, though she wasn't convinced.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked. "Maybe I can help."

"No, don't come down here," he said in a demanding tone. Then there was a short pause before he said, "On second thought, come here for a second."

She smirked as he gave in to his reluctance and took her offer to help. "I'll be there in a sec," she said before turning off the receiver on the intercom. After climbing down the flight of stairs she punched in the passcode to allow herself entrance. Peering through the glass door Miranda could see Tony lying back in a chair in the middle of the workshop. She looked on curiously as she saw something glowing from his naked chest.

As she stepped into the room, Tony said, "Hey, Randy. Come here. Show me your hands."

"For the last time, my name is Miranda," she said as she approached.

"I know. I'm changing it, though. I think a man's name suits you better. Now show me your hands."

She lifted her hands up for him to see. "What do you need me to-" she cut herself off when she saw the metal casing protruding from his chest. "What the Hell is that?"

"You know, you have surprisingly dainty hands for someone so masculine," he said, dodging her question.

"Don't just dance around the question, Stark. Tell me what the Hell that is." Anxiety welled up in her as she continued to stare at the device. "Is that inside you?"

"Yes, it's inside of me. Now-"

"Oh my God!" Her voice shrilled as her brow knitted. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"This wasn't my idea, okay? This happened while I was away," he said.

"What the Hell happened to you over there? Why did this happen?"

"I got hit with some shrapnel from an explosive," he explained. "Long story shot; do you remember the arc reactor I told you about yesterday?"

"You mean that huge machine you showed me earlier?" she asked.

"Yeah, that," he said. "It also generates an electromagnetic field."

Putting two and two together she asked, "That thing's inside you?"

"Yes, but now it's time for an upgrade," he said as he held up the new arc reactor in his hand. "Only I seemed to have hit a bit of a snag."

"Well, what's the problem?" she asked.

"There's an exposed wire under this device," he said as he removed the arc reactor from his chest, "and it's causing a little bit of a short." He yanked the dangling wires out of the chest piece and handed it over to Miranda. Hesitantly she took it from him.

"Okay, so what do you need me to do?" she asked as she placed the old arc reactor over on a workbench to her side.

"I want you to reach in and you're just going to gently lift the wire out," he instructed her.

"No. No, I can't do that," she said.

"Why not?"

"My job is to guard your body. Going inside of it wasn't in the job description."

"No, it's fine," he said, trying to reassure her. "It's like Operation. You just don't let it touch the socket walls or it goes beep."

"That's not funny," she said sternly.

"I'm sorry, I know this must be stressful for you. Normally I'd ask Pepper to do this for me, but she's not here right now."

"Then why don't you just wait for her to get back?"

"I can't wait that long, okay? Now are you going to help me or not?" She didn't say anything. She just looked at him with a hard expression. "Think of it this way," he said, "you'll be keeping me alive from the inside out."

She exhaled a puff of breath through her nose before she said, "Fine, I'll do it. Just tell me again what I need to do."

"Just reach in and gently lift the wire out," he repeated.

"Okay." She took a deep breath to ready herself, then she carefully stuck her hand into the socket. Despite her hands being small enough to fit inside, her fingers still grazed the socket walls. She could feel a slimy residue that made squelching noises the farther she stuck her hand in. "Oh, God! What is that?!" she cried.

"It's just an inorganic discharge. Don't worry, it'll come off with water," he assured her.

"It smells," she said.

"You know, I could do without the live commentary, okay? Just grab the wire."

"Okay. Okay, I got it."

"All right. Now don't let it touch the-," he was cut off by his cry as the socket buzzed inside him.

"Sorry!" she cried.

"That's what I was trying to tell you earlier," he said as she lifted the wire out. "Now, it's very important when you pull the wire out that you don't-" Before he could even finish his sentence she yanked out the wire and the magnet that was attached to it.

"Oh, God, what did I do?" she said as she took note of the increased rhythm of his heart monitor.

"If you had let me finish I would have told you not to pull out the magnet. Now I'm going into cardiac arrest," he explained.

"What?! Why? Why is that happening?" she ask in a panic.

"It's happening because you wouldn't listen to instructions and ripped the magnet out like a Neanderthal."

"Well, what should I do?"

"Here," he said handing her the new arc reactor. "We got to hurry. I just need you to attach that to the base plate."

"Okay," she said.

As she was attaching the wires he said, "And make sure you don't-" but was cut off again by another buzz followed by another cry.

His heart rate went back to normal and she asked, "Are you okay?"

He said, "Yeah, to be honest that went better than expected."

Miranda breathed heavily as her hands and knees shook. She'd never experienced such a level of anxiety before. She could have a bullet whiz past her face no problem. But this? She was never asked to do anything like this before. "Don't you ever, _ever_ make me do anything like that again," she seethed before promptly storming out.

"Hey, wait," he called after her. She stopped and turned to see what else he wanted. He tossed his old arc reactor at her which she caught with ease. "Get rid of that for me."

"Yeah, sure," she said before she turned to leave.

She trudged back up the stairs and quite literally washed her hands of the ordeal. Once Pepper returned she approached her about what to do about the arc reactor. "Hey, Pepper, what should I do with this?" she asked holding up the old arc reactor in her hands.

"Oh, God, you know," Pepper said in realization upon looking at the device in her hands. "I'm sorry for not saying anything. I wanted Tony to be the one to tell you."

"It's fine," Miranda said, though, in truth she was still a little shaken up. "He switched out for a new one and he asked me to get rid of this one. I just don't know what to do with it. Does it go in the trash or should I take it to be recycled?"

Pepper looked at it in thought before she said, "I know what to do. Let me take care of it for you."


	4. Chapter 4

It had been about a week since she moved in with Tony. Her boredom seemed to slow down time as each day seemed to inch by at a snail's pace. As she suspected no one has bothered to threaten Tony's life. She honestly wished that something would happen so she'd have something to do. Tony had been spending all of his time down in his workshop and Pepper had been kept busy responding to the press and running various errands for Tony. She had been alone for most of her stay, and though she would never admit it to anybody, she felt lonely and disconnected. On the battlefield she was always with someone. Even if she never really talked to her recruits on a personal level they were still physically there. Their presence was enough to remind her that she wasn't totally alone. In her current standing, the only real constant had been Jarvis. And though he proved to be an exceptional conversationalist she still longed for some sort of human contact. Whenever the need becomes too great she'd think back to her most recent conversation with the Colonel.

She had followed Tony on one of his trips to the air force base. He had business to discuss with Colonel Rhodes, but not without throwing a few quips in his direction first. They had a quick back and forth which ended in Tony being chided by her superior. "Let me talk to you for a minute," the Colonel said as he pulled her aside. They walked off at a safe distance where Tony couldn't hear them then he asked, "Do you have any idea what he's up to?"

"He said he was working on something he started when he was captured," she admitted. Rhodey raised a brow at this. "Um, the thing in his chest, he made a new one of those."

"Oh, so you know about that, huh?"

"I do now. Why didn't you tell me about that sooner instead of making me find out the hard way? He made me stick my hand in there and everything."

"I'm sorry, in all the excitement it just sort of slipped my mind. Wait, you did what? Never mind, I don't want to know. Just tell me, how is everything over there? You doing okay?"

"Well, I haven't killed him yet if that tells you anything."

"Listen, I know this is the last thing you want to be doing, and I get that. But you're the only one who can do this."

"With all due respect, Sir, anyone could do this job. Out of all the men and women stationed here, you could have chose anyone."

"And yet I chose you. I have faith in you, okay? You can do this." She was taken aback by this. It wasn't technically praise, more so they were helpful words of encouragement, and yet she felt proud. It was the first time she'd heard such words since coming home to America. His words helped her stay grounded, and she vowed to never let him down.

Now she found herself on the couch reading the morning newspaper, replaying that conversation over and over in her head as she once again found herself completely alone. Those words he spoke to her, for some reason they made her distant feelings seem worth while.

Suddenly she was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of a loud bang coming from Tony's workshop. "Shit," she muttered. Thinking the worst she got to her feet and bolted for the stairs. She peered through the glass pane as she punched in the passcode but saw no trace of him. When she finally got the door opened she called out to him as she rushed inside.

"Over here," he called back to her. She spun around to find him picking himself off the ground. "You promised you wouldn't come in here unless I needed you. So what are you doing in here?"

"I'm making sure you didn't kill yourself. I heard a crash," she explained.

"Well, as you can see, I'm alive. You can go now," he said.

"Oh my God, you're bleeding," she said, taking note of the gash on his forehead.

"It's just a scratch. Don't worry about it," he said as he pulled his feet out of the thrusters he had previously been testing.

"What the hell are those?" she asked, pointing to the machinery at his feet.

"They're thrusters."

"Well, what are they for?"

He looked up at her with a criticizing glare. "For flying," he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Whatever," she said, exasperated. "Just sit down. Where do you keep your first aid kit?"

"I told you it's just a scratch," he said as he hobbled over to his desk to sit.

"Really?" she said incredulously. "Because it looks like you're bleeding profusely."

"No, it's fine. See?" he said as he flopped down in his chair. He grabbed a dirty rag off the top of his desk and pressed it against his bleeding forehead.

"Don't do that!" she exclaimed as she rushed to his side, grabbing his wrist and moving it away from his face. She did't realize what she was doing until she felt his skin on hers. Her breath hitched as they made eye contact and she hoped he didn't notice. "It'll get infected," she said in a softer tone.

He was quiet for a moment until he finally spoke again. "In that cabinet over there, bottom drawer."

She blinked at this. "What?"

"That's where you'll find the first aid kit."

"Oh."

That's how she found herself tending to Tony's injury. She could feel herself blush as she held his chin in one hand and cleaned his wound with the other. He watched her intently and she pretended not to notice. An awkward silence settled between the two until Tony finally decided to speak up. "You know, your job is to protect me, not coddle me," he said.

"I know that," she said as she tried to hide her embarrassment.

"Then why are you doing this?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said in a flustered tone. "The Colonel is always saying that I need to learn compassion. Maybe I'm just trying to take his advice seriously."

"How's that working out for you?" he asked.

"I don't know. You tell me," she said, finally looking him in the eye. He shrugged his eyebrows and rolled his eyes in response. Trying to hide her smile, she said, "Yeah, I think so, too."

After she was done cleaning and bandaging his injury she cleaned up and put the first aid kit back where she found it. "Sorry for, uh, interrupting whatever you were doing," she said awkwardly as she was closing the cabinet. "I'll go now."

Before she could walk out the door he called out to her. When she turned around he said, "Would you mind not telling anyone what you saw down here?"

"That should be easy considering I have no idea what it is you're making," she said. "What about Pepper, though?"

"She'll figure it out on her own. Don't worry about her," he said.

"Yeah, okay. And in return could you not tell anyone that I, uh . . ." Her sentence trailed off as she gesticulated back and forth at each other.

"It's a deal," he said. "Now get out."

"Right," she said as she turned and walked out the door. She cursed herself as she ascended the stairs. "Stupid," she muttered, "I'm so stupid." Tony, picking up on her embarrassment, watched her as she walked away, snorting out a chuckle as the door closed behind her. He thought that now he knew how to get to her that he could make a game out of making her flustered. But for the time being there was too much work to be done, so he peeled the bandage from his forehead, throwing it in the garbage as he returned to his work.


	5. Chapter 5

Obadiah would occasionally come around to check on Tony throughout the weeks. Miranda never grew accustomed to his visits. Every interaction she had with him was awkward. For the most part he hardly ever called attention to her, only speaking to her when Pepper wasn't around. On this particular occasion Obadiah had just flown in from out of town and was visiting Tony on some sort of business. After several attempts at calling him over the intercom went unanswered, Miranda had offered to go fetch him so as not to be forced to sit through the oppressive silence that would inevitably take into effect should she be left alone with the older man. Completely oblivious to her intentions Pepper thanked her. "Here, could you take this down to him for me?" she asked, handing her a brown paper package.

Miranda trudged down the stairs at her own pace, not wishing to return to that room anytime soon. After punching in the security code she walked in and made herself known. "Mr. Stark, Pepper's been buzzing you. What are you doing?"

"The question is, what are you doing? I told you not to come down here," he said as he kept his attention down at his work. He was tinkering around with some kind of device that he wore on his arm.

"I came down to tell you that Mr. Stane is here to see you," she explained.

"Why couldn't Pepper come down to tell me?" Tony inquired as he adjusted more wiring.

"I offered to do it for her. She seemed to be busy with something."

Unconvinced by the tone of her voice he looked up at her, and after studying her face for a moment he said, "Oh my God. You're afraid to be alone with him, aren't you?"

"I am not afraid," she said in her defense. "I just don't get along well with stiffs in suits."

"Really? You seem to get along just fine with Rhodey," Tony said, returning his attention back to his work.

"Colonel Rhodes is not a stiff," she said.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Because he dedicated his life to serving his country. A stiff wouldn't be that selfless," she replied.

"And what about me? Am I a stiff?" he inquired.

She thought about it for a moment before she said, "I haven't decided yet." He looked up at this, their eyes locking briefly. She couldn't describe what she was feeling at that moment. She found herself wavering under his gaze, diverting her eyes down at his work. She placed the package she was holding down on what little space was available on one of his work benches before casually leaning against the countertop. "Uh, what is that?" she asked, nodding her head towards his arm.

As if he had just remembered what he was doing, he averted his attention back to the piece of machinery and said, "Oh, this. It's a flight stabilizer."

"Oh, for the thrusters," she said, putting the two together.

"Now you're catching on," he said as he lifted his arm, inspecting the device attached to it.

"How does it work?" she asked curiously.

"Something like this," Tony replied. He pressed a button which seemed to activate the stabilizer. In result the device in the palm of his hand began to glow and soon erupted in a burst of energy, sending him flying. Miranda shrieked in surprise and mostly fright as she watched him fall backwards hitting his back against the hard floor. Papers scattered, fluttering in the air as they gently fell to the ground. After he had caught the breath that had been knocked out of him he said, "Okay, so it needs a little work."

Miranda took a second to compose herself before she said, "If you don't stop doing that I'm going to be forced to take all your toys away."

"Well, now you're asking too much of me," he grunted as he tried to heave himself off the floor.

"Here, let me help you," she said as she took his arm and assisted him to his feet. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said as he stood up straight. He felt her hands wrapped around his bicep and looked up at her. To his surprise she hadn't caught his eyes on her yet, as her own eyes were busy studying the machine attached to his forearm.

"What the Hell are you making, anyway? What do you need all this for?" she asked.

"You don't need to worry about it," he said as he finally averted his eyes from her, bringing his attention down to his arm as he started to remove the flight stabilizer. He took note of how close she stood next to him, her hands still delicately draped around his arm. He couldn't help but notice how gently she touched him. He expected her palms to be rough and calloused from years of war, but found them to be surprisingly soft and smooth. He wondered if she bothered to take care of them or if she truly was that inexperienced of a soldier. He had a vision of her as she moisturized her hands before bed. Somehow she didn't come across as the type of woman who would care about that sort of thing. The thought made him breathe out a chuckle as he finished taking off the machinery he had been working on.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

He looked up at her. Catching himself in his own thoughts, he recovered as he said, "I was just thinking how cute you are when you scream."

As if she had just realized how close she was standing beside him she removed her hands from him and took a step backward. "I did not scream," she said defensively. "It was a yelp. You startled me."

"That's one way to put it," he said as he walked past her and towards the stairs. "I wonder what sound you make when you get startled in the bedroom."

"Don't say that!" she yelled at him as she spun around to face him.

He stopped at the door and looked back at her, taking notice of the flustered expression on her face. It was a subtle detail, but he thought he could see a pink tinge in her cheeks. He had to suppress the oncoming smirk from emerging on his face. "Calm down," he said. "I was kidding." With that he opened the door and started up the stairs, leaving Miranda fuming where she stood. She took a deep breath to compose herself before following behind him.

When they got upstairs Tony greeted Obadiah, asking him how his meeting went as he roamed over to the pizza that Obadiah had brought with him. As she listened in to their conversation she learned that Obadiah had just gotten back from New York where he had been in a meeting. To Tony's surprise it was a board of director's meeting. Miranda didn't understand the significance of this.

"The board is claiming you have post traumatic stress. They're filing an injunction," Obadiah said.

"A what?" Tony inquired.

"They want to lock you out," Obadiah explained. She didn't need to go to business school to understand what that meant.

"Why, 'cause the stocks dipped forty points?" Tony heatedly asked. "We knew that was going to happen."

"Fifty-six and a half," Pepper corrected.

"It doesn't matter," Tony shot back. "We own the controlling interest in the company."

"Tony, the board has rights, too," Obadiah pointed out. "They're making the case that you and your new direction isn't in the company's best interest."

"I'm being responsible!" Tony argued. "That's a new direction . . . for me - for the company. I mean, me on the companies behalf, being responsible for the way that . . ." He trailed off, looking to Pepper for some kind of help. She had always been able to find the right words for him, but this time all she could do was sigh in response. "This is great," he muttered. In his annoyance he grabbed the rest of the pizza and prepared to storm out with it.

"Oh, come on. Tony," Obadiah called after him.

"I'll be in the shop," Tony replied, giving him the cold shoulder.

"Hey, hey! Tony, listen," Obadiah said as he followed after him. "I'm trying to turn this around, but you got to give me something. Something to pitch them." He pointed at the arc reactor protruding out of Tony's chest and said, "Let me have the engineers analyze that. You know, draw up some specs."

"No, absolutely not," Tony demanded.

"It'll give me a bone to throw the boys in New York," Obadiah said persuasively.

"This one stays with me. That's it, Obie. Forget it," Tony said in finality.

"All right, well, this stays with me, then," Obadiah said, taking away the pizza box before Tony could walk away with it.

Miranda had been sitting on the couch beside Pepper as she watched the whole interaction unfold. She felt that she should tune out any conversation on Tony's company. She felt that whatever happened to it was hardly any of her business. But at the same time she found it hard to ignore when the conversation gets as heated as it just had. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen to Tony should his company be taken from him.

Obadiah exchanged a few words with Pepper as he prepared to leave for the night. Miranda was then brought out of her thoughts by him addressing her, "Private Ridley, may I have a word?"

"Uh, certainly, Sir," she said uncertainly.

"Walk with me," he said, waiting for her to walk him out the door. Or at least she assumed that's what he wanted from her. She felt more like he was the one leading the way. When Pepper was out of earshot he turned to her and said, "How's Tony? I'm worried about his mental health."

"He's as good as he can be considering all that had happened to him," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"He hasn't been himself lately," he said. "I figured since you spend the most time with him than anyone that you would have noticed anything different about him."

_I don't know about that_, she thought._ Living with someone hardly constitutes as spending time with them._ "I don't see him much, to be honest," she admitted. "He spends most of his time locked up in his workshop. I'm told that's normal for him, though."

"Do you have any idea what he's working on down there?" he asked. The two had just reached the end of the driveway where Obadiah had parked his car. She remembered back on the promise she had made to Tony. She told him she wouldn't tell anybody about what she saw him making. She reminded herself that Tony's professional life was none of her business. She was sure there was a reason why he wanted to keep it a secret.

"I have no idea, Sir," she said.

"You were just down there. Are you telling me you didn't see anything?" he said a little too sternly.

"I saw a lot of things, Sir. I just have no knowledge when it comes to modern technology," she said. "He said he was interested in going into pharmaceuticals. Maybe it has something to do with that."

"I somehow doubt that's what it is," Obadiah muttered to himself.

"What do you think he's working on, Sir?" she dared to ask.

"Something that could make or break this company," he said.

She always thought you had to be starting from the bottom up in order to make or break something. She decided not to question him about it. She didn't think anything good would come from questioning anything he had to say. Instead all she said was, "I see."

He stood there looking pensive for a moment. Then he said, "Well, I have to go. It's been a long day and I'm looking forward to getting some rest. You take good care of Tony, okay? I have a feeling he's going to need all the help he can get."

She nodded her head and said, "Yes, Sir. You can count on me." She didn't think anything of it at that moment, but she would later look back and wonder if he had meant anything by that last statement.


	6. Chapter 6

She was aware of the outrage happening around her. She expected some kind of backlash to occur after having killed a man in the street in the middle of broad daylight. But the angry shouts that met her ears were much more ferocious than she would have anticipated. Many of the people who lived in the lonely village didn't know much in the way of English, but there was one word they did know, a word she recognized fully. "Murderer."

People came out of their houses to see what happened, and when they saw they were immediately met with grief. Many people sobbed at the sight of the lifeless body that laid at her feet. But many more people reacted differently; with anger. Men screamed at her as they shook their fists. Women cried as they shielded their children's eyes from the mayhem. Miranda didn't understand what was happening. Had the people of this village been harboring terrorists? Were they in on it?

In her confusion, her eyes roamed over the body that lied before her, searching for some sort of answer. Her attention was brought down to his hand. In his hand he clutched a folded letter, splattered in red. Picking it up she skimmed over the letters written on it. The words were written in English. She didn't know it at the time, but the man who came to her didn't know how to speak English, but he had taught himself how to write so he could get his message across. Written on the thin piece of paper were directions to the enemy encampment.

The gears in her brain started to turn. Why did this man know where the enemy was? Was he one of them? Why would he sell them out like that? What's in it for him? She still didn't understand, and she wouldn't understand until her superior officer told her what she did wrong. But before that could happen she'd have to get out of there in one piece. She was brought out of her thoughts by the furious sound of gunfire.

Miranda woke with a gasp. She found herself staring at a dark ceiling she didn't recognize, her forehead damp with sweat. It wasn't until she sat up from her position on the floor and heard the sickening crack of her back did she remember where she was. Heaving herself off the floor, she sat down on her unused bed and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was four in the morning. She often found herself waking up at this time of night. That same dream playing over and over in her head. Most nights she was able to ignore those memories and go back to sleep. But on nights like this one when the dreams become more vivid, when her memories force her to remember the distinct smell of blood as it's heated by the desert sun, that was when she knew she wouldn't be going back to sleep any time soon.

Sensing that something was wrong, Jarvis spoke up from out of the darkness. "Is something the matter, Private Ridley?"

"I'm fine, Jarvis. It was just a dream," she replied. She paused for a moment, then she asked, "Say, Jarvis, do you dream?"

"No, Miss, I can't say that I do," he said.

Miranda breathed a slight chuckle. "No, I suppose you wouldn't, would you?"

"What do you dream about, Private Ridley?" She smiled at this. She really enjoyed talking to Jarvis. He always knew how to keep a conversation rolling. She wondered if he asked her questions because he was genuinely interested in what she had to say or if he was just simply programmed to be that way.

She thought about an answer to give him before she finally said, "The color red."

"I'm sure that's something you and Mr. Stark have in common," Jarvis said.

She remembered those three months Tony had been missing. She could only imagine the things that happened to him while he was away. "Yeah, you might be right," she said. Then with a sigh she stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jarvis asked.

"To the gym," she said. "I'm too restless to sleep. Might as well get a workout in."

Not bothering to change out of her sweatpants and baggy white T-shirt that she slept in, she wandered through the house towards Tony's weight room. She wasn't confident enough in herself to work the barbell without someone spotting her that night, so she opted for the punching bag instead. She didn't even bother to wrap her hands first. She didn't have the patience for that. She just felt a sudden urgency to punch something. Her knuckles started to burn more and more with each hit, the friction of the bag reddening her skin. She worked the bag at a nice slow rhythm as she concentrated on her workout. She focused her mind on each of her strikes, not allowing herself to think of anything else. Each smack of her fists against the bag reverberated throughout the house, its chain rattling with each swing. It wasn't until someone spoke up did she realize how much noise she was making.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Miranda spun around to find a disheveled looking Tony standing behind her. His eyes looked tired as if he hadn't slept in days, his arms folded carefully over his chest. "Working out," she said between breaths.

"Well, could you save it for some other time? I'm trying to sleep," he grumbled.

Smiling half-heartedly, she said, "I didn't know you slept. For as long as I've known you you've been up all night doing who knows what."

"Yes, well, contrary to popular belief even geniuses need to sleep sometime," he said wryly. He would never admit it to her, but many of the nights he'd spent since he came home have ended with him fast asleep hunched over his desk. It wasn't until the remaining assembly of his suit was assured did he take rest in his own bed. "I take it the same doesn't go for the uninformed. What are you doing up so late?"

"Just couldn't sleep," she said, choosing to ignore his insult. She has learned well by now that arguing with him was a losing battle. The two could go back and forth for hours, accomplishing absolutely nothing. She started to pick and choose her battles, and as she did she realized that that wasn't such a bad thing.

"Why not? Don't tell me it's the bed again."

"What? No." Miranda really didn't want to tell him about the dreams that plague her. She didn't want to talk about it with anyone. So before he could pry further she asked him, "What about you? Can't sleep?"

"No, I guess not," he said.

"Have you been having trouble sleeping since you came home?" she asked curiously.

"Why do you ask?" He knew exactly what she meant, he just wanted to put off talking about it for as long as he could. He hadn't talked about what he'd been through with anyone, not even his closest friends. He thought that what happened should stay with him. Even if he did talk about it, who would understand?

"I just figured it must be hard after everything you'd been through."

"Sleeping isn't a problem for me," he said nonchalantly.

"It's waking up that's the problem," she added for him.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You ever wake up thinking you're still in captivity?" she asked.

His expression changed to that of suspicion. "How do you know about that?"

"I've been to war, Mr. Stark. I know how that works," she said with a tired smile. For a moment he thought he saw concern in her eyes. He wondered how she could worry about him after the way he's treated her like a pest. He never once tried to make her feel welcome in his home, yet she still looked at him with those big brown eyes as if searching for a piece of him that isn't awful. He considered that she simply felt obligated to care for him, but deep down he had a distinct feeling that she knew what he was going through.

His expression softened as he asked, "And what about you, Randy? Where do you think you are when you wake up?"

No longer comfortable with the direction their conversation has taken, Miranda turned her back on him as she laid the palms of her hands on the punching bag in front of her. Funny how she had no problem talking about the things going on in Tony's head, but once the questions are pointed at her she shrivels up in fear. She racked her brain for any way of escape, but ultimately found none. Finally she heard herself speak, "Afghanistan, just like you."

He took note of the tenseness in her shoulders, the hesitation in her voice. He wondered what it was she saw over there. Was it as horrific as the things he'd seen? He considered asking her, but decided against it as he thought she would ask him questions as well. He wasn't ready to talk about what happened, not with anyone. Instead he peered over her shoulder and took notice of the red, abraded skin on her knuckles. Stepping forward so he was standing beside her, he took her right hand in his and inspected her knuckles thoroughly. Her fingers flinched, taken aback by the sudden physical contact. "What's this?" he asked.

Miranda's mouth hung open in awe. By this time in their relationship she knew full well how forward he could be, but never before had he been the one to initiate physical contact with her. "Uh . . ."

"You should wrap your hands next time," he said. "I'd hate for you to bleed all over my equipment."

Her heart sank at his last comment. For once she had actually thought he might be showing some level of compassion, then he goes and makes his concern about himself. Furrowing her brow she snatched her hand away from his grasp. "Well, I'm so sorry to inconvenience you, Mr. Stark," she said, sarcastically. "I should be getting back to bed. Sorry to keep you up."

"Hit the showers first, why don't you. You're sweating up the place," he taunted her, wiping the perspiration that had transferred from her hand to his onto his sweatshirt as he watched her turn and walk away. Reminding herself that responding to his gibes is what he wanted, she kept her thoughts to herself as she stormed out of the room.

He watched her walk away, leaving him alone with nothing but his thoughts. He found himself wondering once again what it was she saw while she was overseas. There was only one thing he could think to see in a war: death. He could see the humor, however dry, in the fact that he never once put any thought into the tragedy that comes with war until he himself was put in the middle of it. He'd been in the business of manufacturing and selling weapons for the entirety of his adult life and he's never once thought about the damage that would be done with them. Then he saw firsthand the death and destruction his weapons could do, against the people they had meant to protect no less.

Tony could only imagine the suffering that Miranda had seen. Had she seen her comrades die? Or did she have to deal with the guilt of killing her enemies? Without even knowing the answer he felt like he could relate to her in some way. With this new revelation he looked back on how he had been treating her over the past couple of weeks and wondered if he should start taking it easier on her. Then again, not giving the help a hard time was so unlike him.


End file.
